Snake Clan
The Snake Clan was a minor clan that became corrupted by a Shuten Doji. Snake Lands The plains between the lands of the Dragon and the Phoenix were home to a hard-working and industrious people of the Snake Clan. Way of the Minor Clans, p. 122 Holdings * The Bloodworks * Kyuden Chuda * The Teeth of the Serpent History The Snake Clan was a once proud and prosperous family, the descendants of the Imperial Magistrate Isawa Chuda who had saved the Emperor's life from the deadly threat of a maho cult. The Emperor proclaimed Chuda the first daimyo in 339. Bloodspeakers, p. 50 The clan made their home on the Dragon Heart Plain, making comfortable lives for the small holdings through trade with the lands to their south. They were an unremarkable family in all save for their complete loyalty to Rokugan. But even this, in the end, could not save them from a dark fate. When the small family explored the lands given them, they found them haunted. An ancient spirit would appear at their castle the first evening of every month, screaming and begging the famly to hear its pleas. For generations, the Chuda ignored the spirit's pleas, until finally, the young son of the Snake Champion answered the spirit. At that point, the hauntings seemed to stop. In 401, the daimyo of the Snake died, and seven days later, his son became Champion. The son, Chuda Tamihei, with the help of the spirit -- a Shuten Doji -- conceived of a plot to gain immortality and power through the use of dark forces. The Shuten Doji began possessing every living thing in the Snake Clan lands, and the daimyo began his quest for power. Only through the intervention of the Fortunes, the Phoenix Clan discovered the plot and the evil brewing among the family on their border. The Elemental Masters were outraged at the young daimyo's actions and terrified at the implications for the rest of Rokugan. In 402 they mobilized their armies of the Phoenix and marched upon Snake lands in what became known as the Five Nights of Shame, exterminating every living thing upon the Dragon Heart Plain. Once finished, the Phoenix were convinced that not one soul of the Snake Clan lived. Recent developments Unknown to the Council of Five, a few powerful maho-tsukai among the family survived both Shuten-Doji possession and the Five Nights of Shame using their Bloodspeaker powers. They believed that in time they could have restored the souls to their brethren, and this would have been the case if it not been for the deadly intervention of the Isawa family. They ultimately continued the Chuda bloodline by marriage, largely with the Asako family, passing their dark secret down through each generation. Spider Clan Family After several centuries, Asako Mishime, an Asako Inquisitor of Snake Clan descent, restored the Chuda family name in the City of the Lost in 1159. After the creation of the Spider Clan, the Chuda served Daigotsu as a family of maho tsukai. Blade of Serpents, by Shawn Carman The Temple of Venom became the home of the Chuda. Gathering Darkness, by Shawn Carman They were typically the advisors and strategists who stood at the side of a Daigotsu leader. Masters of Court, p. 120 Betraying Daigotsu The Chuda were loyal Bloodspeakers and acknowledge Iuchiban as their master after he defeated Daigotsu and conquered the City of the Lost. They were cultured, elegant, and well dressed, doing their best to break the stereotype of a Shadowlands madman. Secrets of the Shadowlands, p. 10 They performed the role of Iuchiban's advisors and administrators. Secrets of the Shadowlands, p. 24 Spider as Great Clan The Spider Clan was elevated as a Great Clan of the Empire in 1173, and the newly created Council of the Spider would rule the clan until Daigotsu's son came to age. No Chuda were selected for the council, as no leaders within the family were without the Taint. A Brief History of the Sanctioned Spider Clan, by Seth Mason Age of Exploration In 1174 the Chuda discovered a ruin filled with powerful gaijin artifacts left over from a previous cadre of sorcerers. The maho-tsukai kept this discovery to themselves, reporting back to their Dragon masters that the ruin was cursed and must be destroyed. Chuda Defection The Chuda lose the faith in the Spider's ways after being rebuked for breaking the Imperial Edict against gaijin items. In 1178 the Chuda staged a betrayal of a large contingent of Daigotsu warriors deep in the jungle. The Spider and Dragon were fully prepared for the predictable turn of events, and the few surviving tsukai fled for their lives. The Chuda returned to a place of true power, the summoning of Onis, so they could achieve their true purpose; the complete and entire annihilation of the people of Rokugan. Emperor Edition Themes: Jigoku's Horde Rejoining the Spider In 1200 the Spider Clan went into hiding, shortly after the ascension of the Emperor Iweko II. Exodus of the Spider (Thunderous Acclaim flavor) Daigotsu Kanpeki welcomed the Chuda back into the fold. Chuda Teraiko (Thunderous Acclaim flavor) Within the Family Mon The mon depicted a snake and the clan colors were silver, black and grey-purple. Way of the Minor Clans, p. 3 Family Name The family name of the Snake Clan was Chuda, after their founder, Isawa Chuda who had said he was the Emperor's serpent, "creeping into the hidden places and striking down your enemies." Though the name has not been recognized in the courts of Rokugan since the destruction of the clan, the Chuda name was kept by the sole survivor of the massacre, and his descendants have since become a family of maho-tsukai living in the Shadowlands. Samurai See Samurai of the Snake Clan for a listing of notable members of the clan, both current and historic. Major Holdings The following were some of the major holdings of the Snake Clan. * Shiro Chuda School and Paths The Chuda Shugenja was the only known school of the Snake Clan. It was destroyed alongside the Clan. The following were the basic Schools when the Chuda family was within the Spider Clan: * Chuda Necromancer * Chuda Shugenja * Chuda Snake Charmer * Dark Whisper Politics Snake Clan Champion The following were the known Champions of the Snake: Chuda Family Daimyo The following are the known Daimyo of the Chuda family following it's ressurection by Chuda Mishime: See also * Chuda family/Meta * Way of the Phoenix, pp. 40-41. Daimyo Chuda Category:Spider Clan Leaders Category:Spider Clan Families Category:Shadowlands Families Category:Snake Clan Leaders